Firefighter Apprenticeship in Georgia

Wages, programs & career outlook

Firefighters respond to fires, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, and hazardous material calls. Most work 24- or 48-hour shifts out of a station, alternating between active calls, equipment maintenance, training drills, and public education.

GA Median Salary
$45,970/yr
-23% vs. national
National Median
$59,530/yr
GA Employment
11,660
Firefighters employed
GA Sponsors
5
Registered programs
Training Term
2.0 yrs
Hybrid
Job Growth
3.4%
2024–2034 projected
Annual Openings
27,100
Nationally, per yr

Firefighter Apprenticeship in Georgia: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered firefighter apprenticeship in Georgia combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 2.0 years and follow a hybrid structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.

Georgia pay vs. national

Median firefighter wages in Georgia are $45,970/year, -23% below the national median of $59,530. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Georgia has 5 registered apprenticeship sponsors for firefighter listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.

Job-market outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3.4% job growth for firefighters nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 27,100 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — Georgia-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Georgia Wage Spread

Annual wages for Firefighters in Georgia across all experience levels.

10th pct
$33,290
Median
$45,970
90th pct
$61,530
Middle 50% of workers earn $37,360$54,380

Current Firefighter Apprenticeship Openings in Georgia

No firefighter apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Georgia. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.

Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.

Firefighter Apprenticeship Sponsors in Georgia

5 firefighter-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for Georgia. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current firefighter apprenticeship openings.

Organization City County
Alma-Bacon County Fire & EMS Alma
Fayette County Fire and Emergency Services Fayetteville
Butts County Fire and Emergency Services Jackson,
Savannah Fire Department Savannah Chatham County
City of Union City Fire Department Union City Fulton County
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Firefighter openings

Filter by occupation code 33-2011 and state GA for the most relevant results.

Firefighter Apprenticeship in Georgia

With 5 trade-specific sponsors in our directory, Georgia's Firefighter apprenticeship landscape is limited. Candidates should also consider nearby states or contact national union offices for referrals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Firefighters earn in Georgia?
The median annual wage for Firefighters in Georgia is $45,970 as of May 2024. Wages range from $33,290 at the 10th percentile to $61,530 at the 90th percentile.
What is the length of a Firefighter apprenticeship program?
The standard Firefighter apprenticeship is 2 years of combined on-the-job training and classroom education. Some programs offer accelerated paths for candidates with prior experience.
Should I do a Firefighter apprenticeship or go to trade school?
The key difference: apprenticeships pay you during training while trade schools charge tuition. Many employers prefer apprenticeship-trained Firefighters, but trade school can give you a head start on the classroom requirements.
How do I find a Firefighter apprenticeship in Georgia?
Contact one of the 5 Firefighter-adjacent registered sponsors in Georgia (listed below), or search apprenticeship.gov for current openings. Local union halls, community colleges, and the state apprenticeship agency are good first stops.
Do Firefighter apprentices get paid during training?
Apprentices are paid employees from the start. In Georgia, a first-year Firefighter apprentice might earn around $22,985/yr (roughly half the $45,970 journeyman median), with scheduled raises throughout the 2-year program.

Prefer Trade School Instead?

Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Firefighters also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.

Compare 36 Fire Protection programs nationwide →
Too few Georgia-based programs to compare locally — see the national list and filter.

Firefighter in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in Georgia

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024, DOL RAPIDS Registered Apprenticeship database, ApprenticeshipUSA Sponsor Directory.